Jail superintendent, subordinates held responsible for Malir jailbreak

Top officials including Superintendent of Malir Jail Arshad Hussain, Deputy Superintendent Zulfiqar Pirzada and Assistant Superintendent Abdullah Khaskheli have been held responsible for the mass jailbreak at Malir District Jail, in which 225 inmates escaped in June of this year.

A high-level inquiry committee, led by the Karachi Commissioner and the Additional IG, concluded that the incident was not solely caused by the mild earthquake reported that night, but resulted primarily from gross negligence, weak supervision, and poor security arrangements within the prison.

Following the committee’s findings, Shah Latif Town Police registered a case against the three officers on the complaint of Assistant Superintendent Malir Jail Mola Bakhsh Sehto under sections 129, 223, 225-A, 119, 166, and 217/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The case has been transferred to the Central Investigation Cell, Malir Division, for further inquiry.

As per the FIR, between 11:30pm and 1:30am on June 2, light tremors were felt across Karachi. Taking advantage of the disruption, 225 inmates, including several charged with serious crimes, escaped through weak barriers and fencing. Police managed to recapture 80 fugitives within hours of the breakout and later re-arrested 188 others in follow-up operations across various districts. However, 37 prisoners remain at large, despite continued search efforts.

The Home Department, through its notification dated October 8, directed strict legal and departmental action against the accused officials for negligence, dereliction of duty, and failure to prevent the escape, which endangered public safety. Authorities said security at all prisons in Sindh is being reviewed, with directives issued to strengthen surveillance, improve infrastructure, and ensure accountability to prevent any repeat of the Malir incident.